The morning sun pierced the curtains of Aunt Clara's apartment, a weak glow battling the lingering storm's aftermath, its damp chill clinging to the air. The shattered cups from last night lay swept into a corner, their earthy scent faint but persistent, mingling with the smoky trace of extinguished candles.
I sat at the kitchen table, the journal absence a hollow ache in my chest. Salvador's words, "You're deeper now" echoed, his steadying touch a ghost on my shoulder. Diego had stormed out after Valentina's escape, his threat to "silence" me hanging like a noose, while Sofia's quiet sobs and Aunt Clara's pale silence filled the gaps.
The door creaked open, and Salvador stepped in, his leather jacket damp from the morning mist, the scar across his jaw stark under the light. His gray eyes, flecked with gold, met mine with intensity, but his nod to the empty chair was respectful.
"Boss wants you at the docks," he said, his voice a gravelly rumble. "Now."
I stiffened, my pulse quickening. "After last night? He'll kill me." My voice wavered, but I gripped the broom, its weight a fragile shield.
Salvador's grin flickered, roguish yet restrained. "Not if I'm there, ocean girl. But we move." His tone brooked no argument, and his hand, firm yet careful, guided me up, the leather of his sleeve brushing my arm.
Outside, the city buzzed with early traffic, the East River docks looming ahead, their neon signs dulled by daylight, the air thick with saltwater and rust.
At the docks, Diego waited, his suit pristine despite the damp, his gray-streaked hair slicked back. Behind him, crates stacked high hinted at gun shipments, their metallic edges glinting.
His gaze locked on me, a predator's stare, and he gestured to a crate. "Sit," he commanded, his voice a blade.
I hesitated, but Salvador's hand on my back nudged me forward, his deference to Diego clear.
"You took something that is mine," Diego said, stepping closer, his shadow swallowing the crate's edge. "That journal , where are the pages?" His hand twitched toward his pocket, and I glimpsed the outline of a gun, its cold promise sending a shiver down my spine.
"I gave it to Valentina," I said, my voice steadying. "You saw her take it." The lie tasted bitter, but the USB's real location buried in the estate burned in my mind.
Diego's laugh was a harsh bark. "She is a fool, but not as much as you. Salvador, search her." His order was a whip crack, and Salvador's eyes darkened, but he nodded, his respect holding.
"Easy, boss," Salvador murmured, his hands moving with deliberate care over my jacket, his fingers brushing my sides. I tensed, my breath hitching, but he found nothing, his touch lingering a moment too long before he stepped back.
"She's clean."
Diego's face twisted, and he drew the gun, its barrel gleaming as he aimed it at my chest. "Then you're hiding it. Tell me, or this ends here." The click of the safety echoed, a death knell in the salty air, and my heart pounded, a wild tide.
Salvador shifted, his stance protective yet restrained. "Boss, she is no threat. Let me handle this." His voice was low, a plea wrapped in loyalty, and Diego's gun wavered, his eyes flicking between us.
"Handle it?" Diego snarled. "She's my daughter, not your pet. You forget your place." The word "daughter" hit like a punch, confirming the blood tie I'd sensed, and my defiance flared.
"I'm not yours to control," I shot back, my voice rising. "What's on that USB? Why's Valentina after it?" The questions spilled out, raw and reckless, and Diego's grip tightened on the gun.
Salvador intervened, his hand on Diego's arm, a bold move softened by respect. "She deserves the truth, boss. I'll get it." Diego lowered the weapon, his breath heavy, and nodded, stepping back.
Salvador turned to me, his gaze intense. "The USB's got blackmail, names, deals, gun drops. Your mom recorded it all before she… left. Diego has been looking for it and Valentina wants leverage." His voice dropped, a confession. "I've been covering his tracks, but I'm done if it means your blood."
My mind reeled, the estate's hidden nook flashing in my memory. "It's not with me," I admitted, my voice shaking. "It's back at the estate under the hearthstone."
The revelation hung between us, a lifeline or a trap. Diego's eyes narrowed, and he holstered the gun, his tone icy. "We retrieve it. Together. Salvador, you're responsible."
His command was final, and Salvador nodded, his scar flexing as he clenched his jaw.
As we moved toward the car, a shadow darted behind a crate Valentina, her black cloak billowing, a pistol glinting in her hand. She fired, the shot ringing out, splintering wood near my feet.
I stumbled, Salvador pulling me behind a stack of crates, his body a shield. "Stay down," he growled, his respect for Diego warring with his instinct to protect.
Valentina's voice cut through the chaos, smooth and venomous. "The USB's mine! Diego stole my share now I take it all!" Her laugh was a shard of glass, and another shot whizzed past, grazing Salvador's arm.
Blood stained his sleeve, but he didn't flinch, drawing a hidden knife with a pirate's grace. Diego shouted, "Valentina, stand down!" but she vanished into the docks' maze, her footsteps fading.
Salvador pressed a cloth to his wound, his eyes meeting mine. "She's not done," he said, his grin faint. "But neither are we. The estate's our next fight."
The car ride loomed ahead, the USB's secret a ticking clock, and I wondered if Salvador's protection was my salvation or the blade that would cut me.